Hyderabad: Notwithstanding exit polls giving a clear mandate to BJP-led NDA, TRS Thursday said the party still prefers to support a Congress-led UPA government at the Centre.
TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao`s daughter and party leader K Kavitha also said that the party is unlikely to support an NDA government as it believes that a "secular government should be in place" at the Centre.
"In general, in a democracy like India, we believe that a secular government should be in place, so if at all UPA has a chance, we will back UPA otherwise if the Third Front has a chance, we will back the Third Front," Kavitha, who is also party candidate from Nizamabad Lok Sabha constituency, said.
A day before the counting of votes, she said that TRS has always maintained that it was the effort of Congress president Sonia Gandhi which paved the way for the formation of Telangana.
A TRS tie-up or merger with Congress did not happen before the elections as the party had issues with the local Congress leadership, Kavitha said.
Congress and TRS were engaged in a bitter war of words during the election campaign. Polling concluded in Telangana on April 30. Rao has expressed confidence that TRS would get absolute majority to form the first government in the new state of Telangana.
Asked about the chance of TRS supporting an NDA government, she said, "Not really. But only hope that we have is if at all an NDA government comes into place, they should not ignore Telangana."
On the question of TRS seeking support of other parties for forming the first government in Telangana, Kavitha expressed the hope that the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), which is expected to get nine seats in the Assembly polls, will support the party.
"We have MIM as well, which will easily get about 8, 9 seats. MIM will be there as an option. Congress of course is there," she said.
Kavitha said TRS will receive support from "anything other than TDP-BJP".
